This time, Antoine Dupont will not be there to shine the spotlight on the competition, nor to attract the majority of the light. The French rugby sevens teams bring out their mouthguards during the HSBC Sevens, a competition bringing together twelve nations per table.
The calendar stretches over seven stages, including the first this weekend in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Last year, the French only ranked sixth, while the Blues reached the third step of the podium. However, during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, it was Paulin Riva and his partners who went for gold.
The French will play their three group matches on Saturday against Spain (6:22 a.m.), Great Britain (9:21 a.m.) and the United States (1:51 p.m.). The Blues have an appointment with Kenya (7:50 a.m.), Australia (12:20 p.m.) and South Africa (5:44 p.m.). The matches will be broadcast on the L’Équipe Channel from 9:15 a.m., 2:35 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals and classification matches will take place on Sunday. The matches will be broadcast on the L’Équipe Channel from 10:30 a.m. then at 7:50 p.m. The tournament will be broadcast in full on L’Équipe Live.